Channel cutter for shoe sole stitching machines



Sept. 26, 1950 J. FERRARA 2,523,948

CUTTER FOR SHOE soLE STITCHING MACHINES I Filed July 29, E4? 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR ATTORNEY Sept. 26, 1950 J. FERRARA v, 2,523,948

CHANNEL CUTTER FOR SHOE sou: STITCHING MACHINES w Filed July 29, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 JOHN FERRARA INVENTOR Emma ATTORNEY Se t. 26, 1950 .1. 'F'E RRARA 2,523,948

Cj-IANNEL CUTTER FOR SHOE SOLE STITCHING MACHINES 4 She-ts-Sheet 3 Filed July 29. 194?? FIG .10.

JOHN FERRARA INVENTOR New M ATTORNEY Sept. 26, 1950 FERRARA 2,523,948

CHANNEL CUTTER FOR SHOE SOLE s'rrrcnms MACHINES Filed July s, 194:; 4-Shets-Sheet 4 7' 30312: 255 g y 305.; I 307-4 FIG.Z0 Z2? 311 3o5 r- 219 513) JOHN FERMRA N TOR WM AT TORIVE'Y' Patented Sept. 26, 1956 CHANNEL CUTTER Fon SHOE SOLE STITCHING MACHINES John Ferrara, Rochester, N. Y.

Application July 29, 1947, Serial No. 764,290

'7 Claims.

1 This invention relates to a channel cutter for a shoe sole stitching machine, and particularl but not exclusively to a channel cutter for stitching machines of the type used in shoe re-soling or repairing operations, as distinguished from the stitching machines used in the initial manufacture of new shoes.

An object of the invention is the provision of a generally improved and more satisfactory chan nel cutter of the nature above indicated.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a channel cutter which is so designed and constructed that it will operate with great efiiciency even on very hard or tough leather soles.

Still another object is the provision of a channel cutter having a cutter blade which has a compound movement, including one movement synchronized with the normal feeding movement of the stitching machine, and a second movement which is greatly multiplied so as to be much faster than the normal feeding movement of the stitching machine, the combination of the two movements resulting in efficient cutting of a channel even in the toughest and hardest sole leather.

A further object is the provision of a channel cutter of the above mentioned. kind, so designed and constructed that it may be embodied either in an attachment which can be easily and inexpensively applied to an existing sole stitching machine, or in a device constituting original equipment built into the machine when the machine is originally constructed.

A still further object is the provision of a channel cutting knife operating in very close proximity to the stitching needle, so that when stitching around the curved part of a shoe sole the stitches will be properly alined in the channel, rather than being to one side of the channel as has been the case with prior constructions.

These and other objects are accomplished by the construction disclosed as an illustrative embodiment of the invention in the following description and in the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which:

Fig. l is a front elevation of a known form of elevation and partly in vertical section, of the preferred form of channel cutter;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation thereof viewed from the left-hand side of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken approximate- 1 on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. '7 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line 1-1 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the cutting knife used in the preferred form of channel cutter;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary side view, viewed from the right side of the machine, showing a part of the stitching machine and illustrating the action of the awl and the needle;

Fig. lo-is a fragmentary front elevation of part of the stitching machine showing another embodiment of the channel cutter applied thereto;

Fig. 11 is a horizontal section taken approximately 011 the line I l-H of Fig. 1c;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary side elevation of the mechanism shown in Figs. 10 and 11, viewed from the right hand side of Fig. 10;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale illustrating the action of the cutter blade in cutting a channel in the sole leather;

Fig. 14 is a front elevation of the same form of cutting attachment shown in Fig. 10, on a larger scale, with parts broken away in order to illustrate the construction more clearly;

Fig. 15 is a side view of the lower part of the mechanism shown in Fig. 14, viewed from th left of Fig. 14;

Fig. 16 is a vertical section taken through the upper part of the construction shown in Fig. 14;

Fig. 1'7 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line I'!l'l of Fig. 16;

Fig. 18 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line i8-l8 of Fig. 16;

Fig. 19 is a front elevation with parts in vertical section of another modified form of the channel cutting device of the present invention, and

Fig. 20 is a side view, viewed from the right of Fig. 19, of the lower part of the mechanism shown in Fig. 19, with parts in vertical section.

The same reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

Various forms of machines for stitching shoe soles to uppers in repairing or re-soling operations are well known. As a typical example, Without intending thereby to limit the invention, a fragment of one known form of such machine is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 9 of the drawings. This machine, as is well understood by those skilled in the art, comprises a stationary frame indicated in general at 3| on which is mounted 3 a horizontal shaft 32 constituting the main shaft of the machine, and carrying hand wheels 33 at opposite ends of the shaft. This shaft, during operation of the machine, is ordinarily driven by an electric motor or the like, in known manner.

There is a work support or table 35 on which the edge or marginal portion of the shoe sole and upper is laid, in an inverted position, as indicated in Fig. 9. A part of the upper is indicated at 36, and the welt is indicated at 31, and the new sole 38 is to be sewed to the welt 3'1 in known manner. The work support or table 35 contains a slot 4| extending lengthwise of the table '35, that is, from left to right when viewed from the front as in Figs. 1 and 2. A part 43 of the machine (Figs. 1, 2, 9, and carries a curved awl 44 which, in known manner, oscillates upwardly and downwardly through the slot 41 and also moves sideways along the length of the slot 4 l Above the work table is another movable part 5i of the machine, to which is attached the needle 52 which, in known manner, oscillates upwardly and downwardly through the leather on the work support 35 and into the slot 4i of the work support. However, this needle 52 always oscillates in the same vertical plane, and does not shift leftwardly or rightwardly on the machine in the way that the awl 44 shifts.

As is well understood by those familiar with shoe sewing machines of this type, the movements of the awl and needle and associated mechanism are controlled from the main shaft 32 which turns with the hand wheels 33, in such manner that one complete revolution of the shaft 32 causes one complete cycle of operation of the awl and the needle, making one stitch. Also, as well known, at the beginning of a cycle, the needle is retracted to its upper position and the awl is retracted to its lower position, and is in the right hand portion of the slot 4!. As the cycle begins, the awl 44 comes upwardly on a curved path or along the arc of a circle, at the right hand end of its sideways travel, rising a considerable distance above the top surface of the work support 35, and thus piercing the welt 31 and sole 38 or any other leather article which is located on the work table 35. About the time that the awl reaches the end of its upward movement, it begins traveling leftwardly, from its original plane offset to the right of the needle 52, toward the vertical plane of the needle 52. In thus traveling leftwardly, the awl carries the pierced leather along with it, feeding the leather through the length of one stitch. When the awl reaches a point directly in line with the needle 52, the leftward movement of the awl stops, and the downward movement thereof begins. As the awl is withdrawn downwardly, the needle 52 begins to move downwardly exactly in line with the retreating awl, so that the needle enters the leather in the hole left by the retreating awl. Then while the needle is making its stroke and before the completion thereof, the awl, now fully retracted to a point below the top surface of the work table 35, moves rightwardly again to its right hand position, ready for its neXt upward stroke. The

needle moves upwardly to its retracted position, and this completes one cycle of operation, ready for the beginning of the next cycle wherein the awl again moves upwardly, then leftwardly, then downwardly, and the needle comes down in line with the retreating awl.

During its upward and downward movements, the needle 52 carries the thread up and down through the leather, all in known manner, and the thread is acted upon by the lower looping arm 57 and the upper looping arm 58, to loop the thread into stitches in known manner.

The parts thus far described are the conventional parts of a shoe sole sewing machine, well known in the art, particularly in the shoe repair art. As is well understood, the stitches will show on the bottom of the shoe sole unless they are countersunk into a channel or groove which is cut in the bottom of the sole preparatory to the stitching operation. A neater and more attractive appearance results when the stitches are sunk into a channel, and consequently, many attempts have been made heretofore to provide suitable channel cutting attachments for sewing machines of this kind. None of the prior channel cutting attachments has been wholly satisfactory, however, especially when working on sole leather which is very hard, dry, and tough. The channeling attachments of the prior art have been unable to produce consistently satisfactory channels in very hard and tough leather, although they have in many cases given reasonably good results on leather which is less hard and easier to out. Also, many of the prior channel cutting attachments have given poor results when cutting channels around a sharply curved part of the sole, such as the toe portion of the sole of the shoe, although they have given reasonably satisfactory results (when the leather is not too hard and tough) on those edges which are not sharply curved.

The two outstanding problems which the present applicant has met and solved in the present invention, are these problems of enabling the cutting of a satisfactory channel in the sole leather no matter how tough, hard, and dry the leather may be, and the matter of cutting the channel satisfactorily around sharply curved parts of the edge of the sole, such as the toe portion of the shoe. The first of these problems has been overcome by using a movable cutting tool which operates with great rapidity, taking a great multiplicity of little cuts during each single cycle of operation of the machine, so that the cutting knife with its many short cuts can easily penetrate even the toughest and hardest leather, without causing undue drag on the feeding movements of the awl or causing breakage of the awl or needle. The second problem has been solved by mounting the cutting knife so that it moves rightwardly and leftwardly with the rightward and leftward movement of the awl, always remaining as close as possible to the needle, thus cutting the channel in proper alinement for the needle and awl even when the shoe is being turned to make a sharp curve around the toe or elsewhere.

The solution of these problems involves the provision of a knife mechanism having a sharp cutting edge which has a compound movement, that is, a movement having a component in a vertical direction, perpendicular to the sole of the shoe, at a rapid rate with a great multiplicity of strokes, for each single cycle of operation of the machine, and also having a component of movement horizontally in the direction of the feeding movement of the awl 44, the movements along this component being timed or synchronized with the feeding movements of the awl 44, so that the knife blade follows closely along with the awl as the awl feeds leftwardly, and moves back rightwardly when the awl returns rightwardly to its initial position. Thus the g cutting blade is at all times just as close as possible to the needle and awl, enabling sharp turns to be made without having the stitching come to one side of the channel instead of right in the channel.

Referring now especially to Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings, the preferred form of the invention comprises a housing member SI having on its rear side a rearwardly and upwardly extending lug or bracket 62 provided with slots 03 for receiving bolts or screws 65 which pass through a part 61 of the machine and into a plate 69 on the other side of the lug 62, thus securely clamping the lug 62 and the member 6| to the machine part 61. This machine part 67 is a part which does not move rightwardly or leftwardly during the sewing operation, but which is capable of moving upwardly and downwardly when desired, carrying with it the usual presser foot found on machines of this kind, so that it may be raised when work is to be placed on the work table 35, and may be lowered in order to clamp the work on the work table with sufficient force so that the awl 44 can pierce the work from beneath. Thus when the presser foot is raised by raising the machine part 61 in well known manner, the member 6! moves up with it, and when the presser foot moves downwardly again, the member BI moves down with it. Hence the lower part of the member BI may itself be made into a supplemental or substitute presser foot as indicated at H in Figs. 4 and 5, and. if this portion TI is made large enough, the standard presser foot may be removed from the machine,

although-in most cases it is preferred to use the portion II as a supplementary presser foot in addition to the standard presser foot normally provided on the machine.

In this member BI is an almost vertical slot forming a guide for an upwardly and downwardly movable link H, the lower end of which is pivoted at '59 to the upper end of a second link 8|, the lower end of which is pivoted at 83 to the right end of a link 84. It must be recalled that Fig. 4 is a rear view of these parts, so that the directions right and -left are reversed in this figure from the directions used in describing the construction. At an intermediate point of the link 84, about two-thirds of the way from the right end to the left end thereof, the link 8 is impaled on a cross pin 85 which slides along horizontal guide slots 8'! formed in the member 6|.

The left hand end of the link 85 is pivoted at 89 to an intermediate point of the knife member indicated in general at QI and having the shape best shown in Fig. 8. This knife member 9| has at its left end a downwardly projecting knife bit 93 with a very sharp chisel edge on it. This bit is of'sturdy and strong construction. From this hit, the knife member GI sweeps upwardly and rightwardly (leftwardly when viewed from the rear as in Figs. 4 and 8) and has near its right hand end a long slot 95 arranged approximately horizontally, through which slot passes a guide pin 0'! fixed in the member 6|.

With this arrangement, it is seen that when the link i7 is reciprocated upwardly and downwardly, it will, through the link 6!, cause corresponding upward and downward movements of the right end of the link 84. This link 84 will, consequently, oscillate on the pin 85, which is able to move rightwardly and leftwardly, but which is restrained against movement upwardly and downwardly. This Will cause the other or leather on each stroke.

left end of the link 84 to oscillate upwardly arid downwardly in directions opposite to the. upward and downward movements of the right hand of the link, and these upward and downward oscillations of the left end of the link 04 will be transmitted, through the pivot connection 89, to the left end of the knife member 9|, causing the cutting. edge 93 of this knife member to move upwardly and downwardly.

As above indicated, means are provided for reciprocating the link ll upwardly and downwardly very rapidly, a great multiplicity of times for each single stitching cycle of the machine. Without departing from the principles of the present invention, various details of mechanisms may be employed for effecting this rapid reciprocation of the link 11. The preferred form of mechanism is as follows: One of the hand wheels 33 on the main shaft 32 (the left hand wheel in the form shown in Fig. l) is provided with a large spur gear IOI, having a diameter almost as large as that of the hand wheel 33 itself. On a bracket I03 fixed to any suitable stationary part of the machine there is mounted the shaftof a pinion I05 which meshes with the periphery of the spur gear I0 I. As will be readily seen from Fig. l, the spur gear I 0| has a diameter many times the diameter of the pinion I05, the gear IOI preferably having a. diameter at least eight times the diameter of the pinion I05, and in the specific form here shown the ratio of diameters is approximately twelve to one. Hence the pinion I05 will rotate through twelvecomplete revolutions for each single revolution of the gea IOI, which gear makes one revolution for each complete stitching cycle of the machine.

The pinion I05 is connected to one end of a flexible shaft I0'I of any conventional construc-.

tion, the other end of which flexible shaft is connected to and rotates a cylinder I09 (Fig. 4) having an eccentric pin I II projecting from its end. This pin is received snugly but rotatably in a cross bore I I3 in a cylinde I I5 which is rotatable in and slidable longitudinally in an eccentric bore in the disk I I7; that is, a bore which is parallel to the rotary axis II9 of the disk, but offset laterally or eccentrically therefrom. The disk IIl carries a pin IZI connected to the upper end of a link I23, the lower end of which is pivoted at I25 to the upper end of the link ll previously mentioned. This mechanism just described operate in substantially the same way as the cocentric pin, cylinder, and disk arrangement shown in United States Patent No. 2,343,501, granted March 7, 1944, for an invention of John Ferrara. In the present instance, however, the cylinder I09 and disk II! are mounted in a housing-part I 3| which is pivoted to the upper end of the part BI to swing about the disk shaft I I9 as an axis, and which is frictionally retained in any position to which it is swung. Consequently, by rasping the neck I32 of this housing part I3I (that is, the part which surrounds the cylinder I09) and using it as a handle, the neck may be swung to some extent around the shaft II9 as a center, with the result that when it is swung in a counterclockwise direction from the position shown in Fig. 4, this has the efiect of raising the pin I2I for any given position of the eccentric pin II 5, thus raising the link Ti and lowering the pivot 89 so that the knife 93 cuts a deeper channel, moving down farther into the On the other hand, if the neck portion of the housing I3I is swung more nearly vertically, in a clockwise direction from the position shown. in Fig.- 4,.the pivot. I21 is lowered for any given position. of the eccentric pin III, so that the knife blade 93. is raised and a shallower channel is cut in the leather. Thus a very easy adjustment is provided for adjusting the depth. of channel which is out by this apparatus.

For moving the knife blade horizontally to keep it close to the awl and needle, the following arrangement is provided: The pivot85 which passes tightly through the link 84 and loosely through the horizontal slots 81 in the member BI, extends rearwardly beyond. the member 6I where it is screwed into a bracket I3I which, as bestseen in Figs. and 6, is L-shaped, and has a rearwardly extending part with a vertical slot I33 therein. On one side of the bracket I31 (the left hand side when viewed from the front) is a member I35 (Figs. 3,6, and 7'): secured to an upstanding arm I3'I (Figs. 1 and 2) on the sewing. machine mechanism which moves the awl 4'4" rightwardly and leftwardly, this mechanismbeing shifted rightwardly and leftwardly by any suitable known mechanism as well understood in the art, which mechanism usually includes a box cam M! (Fig. l) on the main shaft 32 of the machine, and a cam follower I43 moved rightwardly and leftwardly by this cam, the cam follower being attached to the shifter I45 so that the movements of the cam follower cause a shifting movement of this member I45 and consequently cause a shifting rightwardly and leftwardly of the awl 44. The mechanism for shifting the awl to the right and to the left, as well as for causing the upward and downward oscillations of the awl, is art of the standard sewing machine and is well known, so need not be further described. Consequently, it is seen that the portion I35 of the machine will move rightwardly and leftwardly with the awl 44', and this part I35 is connected to the bracket I3I by means of the washers I5I and I53 mounted on opposite sides of the bracket I3I andfastenedto the machine portion I35 by the screw I55. The washer I5I has a projection which enters the slot I33 of the bracket I3'I, filling the width but not the height of this slot I33, so that the washers I5I and I53 will not interfere with upward and downward movements of the bracket I3I when the elevation of the member BI is changed when raising or lowering the presser foot, but will act to hold the bracket I3I against movement in a direction toward the front or back of themachine. The rightward and leftward movements of the members I35 and I3? are, however, imparted through the connection I5 I, I53, 155 tothe bracket I3I, thus moving the pivot 85 rightwardly and leftwardly with the rightward and leftward movements ofthe awl'44, and the movements of this pivot cause corresponding rightward and leftward movements of the knife blade, as will be seen from Fig. 4, the upper portion of the knife blade being provided with the slot 95 to allow such rightwardand leftward movements. In this way, the knife blade mechanism can be mounted so that the cutting end of the knife is very close to the awl 44, as seen in Fig. 2, and as the awl moves leftwardly from the position shown in Fig. 2 to a position alined with the needle 52, the knife blade will move leftwardly with it, and will be moved back in a rightward direction as the awl moves rightwardly. Inthis way the cutting blade is always as close as possible to the location where the thread is being passed through the shoe sole by the needle 52, and when g. the shoe is turned to make a sharp curve, such as around the toe portion, there is no danger of the stitches falling outside of the channel which; is cut in the leather, instead of coming in the channel.

As will be understood from the foregoing description, the awl 44, after coming upwardly through the shoe sole and impaling the sole thereon, moves leftwardly to feed the sole leftwardly through the distance of one stitch. The:

knife blade moves leftwardly with the awl, so

during this movement it does not move along. the shoe sole, but travels with the shoe sole, theknife making its rapid upward and downward reciprocation-s, however. Then when the awl #4V is retracted downwardly and the needle 52 comes down through the sole leather, the shoe sole becomes impaled on the needle 52, which. holds. the sole against movement while the retracted awl 44 moves rightward-1y again. During this rightward movement of the awl, the knife 93. moves rightwardly with it, of course, while continuing its rapid upward and downward movements, and it is principally during this part of. the cycle of operation that the knife cuts the channel, since it moves rightwardly relative to the leather which at this moment is held stationary by reason of the needle 52 passing through it. The rapid upward and dcwnwardmovements. of the knife blade will out even the hardest and toughest leather in a satisfactory manner, without creating such a great dragging force on the leather as is likely to bend or break the needle 52 which at this time impales the leather and holds it against moving rightwardly with the knife blade. In prior channel cutting apparatus,- bending or breaking of the awl has been a con" stant difficulty and source of annoyance, when operating upon hard and tough leather, because the knife has caused great resistance to the at-- tempts of the awl to feed the leather leftwardly past a knife operating at a fixed location. In the prior arrangement, the resistance of the knife has been added to the resistance of dragging the leather over the work support 35. But with the present arrangement, the knife cuts mainly during its rightward stroke, while the leather is=stationary on the support 35, and the frictional resistance between the leather and the work sup- 1 port aids the needle in holding the leather against being dragged rightwardly by the rightward stroke of the knife. The present arrangement has proven highly satisfactory in use and obviates the previous danger of breakage to the needle or the awl.

An alternative form of cutting mechanism, op erating on the same principles as above described but differing in some details of construction, is illustrated in Figs. 10 to 18 of the present drawlugs, to which reference is now made.

The housing 25", corresponding in a general way to the housing GI in the previous embodi ment, is secured to the machine as before, by means of rearwardly extending bracket 203 (Figs. 11 and 12) which is fastened by the bolts or screws 255 to the same part 51 of the machine to which the other housing 6! was fastened in the first embodiment. This housing is provided with a bottom portion formed as a presser foot 2II (Figs. 11 and 13) or the presser foot can be a separate member if desired.

Mounted on the rear side of this member 201 is a member 2I5 of the shape best shown in Fig. 14, including a long upstanding shank portion having its upper end pivoted on a crank pin 2J1 mounted eccentrically on a horizontal shaft 2!!! which is rotatable in a bearing block 22! and which carries a pulley 223 driven by belt 225 which, in turn, is driven from any suitable pulley on the main shaft 32 of the machine, such as the pulley 227 shown in Fig. 1. The diameter of the pulley 22'! or other driving pulleyon the main shaft of the machine is many times the diameter of the pulley 223, so that the pulley 223 will make many revolutions for each cycle of operation constituting a single revolution of the main shaft 32. Of course, a flexible shaft such as the flexible shaft I! could be substituted for the belt drive if desired, in order to drive the shaft 2l9.

The member 2l5, as above indicated, extends downwardly from the crank 2! l, and is offset laterally near its lower end, in a direction toward the left of the machine, terminating in a sharp knife blade 23 I. Rightwardly and upwardly from the knife blade 23! is an inclined or oblique slot 233 (Fig. 14) in the member 2l5. In a plane lying in front of the knife member 2|5 the member 20! is provided with a horizontal guideway in which a slide block 235 may reciprocate rightwardly and leftwardly. A stud 23'! (Fig. 11) has its head in a horizontal slot 239 in the member 29! which slot allows the stud to move horizontally, and the stud passes tightly through the block 235, and is threaded into and through a washer 239, and has its rear end extending into the inclined slot 233 in the member H5. The block 235 has a rearwardly and downwardly extending arm 24! integral therewith, which arm extends into a vertical slot in the upper end of a bracket 2&3 (Fig. 10) which corresponds to the bracket l3? shown in Fig. 1, and which, like the bracket I31, reciprocates rightwardly and leftwardly with the rightward and leftward movements of the awl 44.

With this arrangement, it is seen that one rotation of the main shaft 32 of the machine Will drive the pulley 223 through a great multiplicity of revolutions, causing many upward and downward movements of the member 2 l5 driven by the crank pin 25?. move upwardly and downwardly, the lower end of the member 2 l 5 can move upwardly and downwardly when driven by the crank, because of the slot in which the stud 23'! is received. This slot, being inclined at approximately 45, permits the knife 23E to move upwardly and downwardly without dihiculty, an upward movement of the knife 23! being accompanied by a rightward movement thereof to a slight extent, and a downward movement being accompanied by a leftward movement of the knife to a slight extent, as will be apparent. Likewise, when the awl 44 moves rightwardly and leftwardly during the cycle of operation, the bracket 243 will move with it, and through the connection 24! this will cause corresponding rightward and leftward movements of the slide block 235, carrying the stud 23? rightwardly and leftwardly with it. Since this stud extends through the slot 233 in the knife member, the knife will be carried rightwardly and leftwardly with the awl 44, so that the same effect is produced as previously described, whereby the cutting end of the knife is kept at all times closely adjacent to the awl notwithstanding the rightward and leftward feeding movements of the awl, and whereby the cutting action of the knife takes place during the rightward return travel of the awl, while the leather is stationary on the work support 35.

In order to enable an adjustment of the depth Although the stud 23]? cannot of the channel formed by this mechanism, the bearing block 22! for the shaft '2 l 9 is mounted, as best seen in Figs. 16 to 18, in a vertical guideway in the member 20!. A coiled spring below the bearing block 22! constantly presses upwardly on the bearing block, keeping it pressed against the lower end of an adjusting screw 253 which bears down on the top of the block 22!, the adjusting screw 253 being provided with a lock nut 2 55. When this look nut 255 is loosened, and the screw 253 is unscrewed in an upward direction, the spring 25| will carry the bearing block 22f upwardly with the retreating end of the screw, and thus the shaft 219 will be raised, raising the entire member 215 and its cutting knife end 23!, to cut a channel of less depth in the leather sole. If it is desired to cut a deeper channel, the adjusting screw 253 is screwed farther downwardly, carrying the bearing block 22! downwardly against the pressure of the spring 25!.

Anothermodified form of construction is indicated Figs. 19 and 20, to which reference is now made. The member is the main supporting member for the cutting mechanism, corresponding in general to the member 5! in the first embodiment and to the member at: in the second embodiment. It is secured by a bracket 302 to the machine, in the same manner in which the corresponding members of the previous embodiments were secured. Near its upper end, the member 39! receives one end of the flexible shaft 363 corresponding to the flexible shaft it! in the first embodiment, and driven in the same way. This flexible shaft drives an eccentric pin 305 which extends into a lateral bore. in the cylindrical block 30'? which slides in an eccentric bore in the rotary disc 3%, these parts corresponding respectively to the parts ill, H5, and ill in the embodiment previously described, and operating in the same way.

The oscillating disc 369 is connected by the crank pin 3! l to a link 3l3 which is connected by a turnbuckle 3!? to another link 3!! pivoted at SIS to the right hand end of the knife member 32!, the left hand end 323 of which is provided with a sharp cutting edge. At an intermediate point between the pivot 359 and the cutting end 323, the knife member 32! has a pin 325 passing through it, which pin also passes through horizontal guiding slots 32? in the member till, and passes tightly through a horizontally slidable block 329 mounted in a horizontal guideway in the member 38!, which block 329 has a rearward and downward extension 33! corresponding to the rearward and downward extension 24! in the previous embodiment, and correspondingly driven in a rightward and leftward direction when the awl 44 moves rightwardly and leftwardly. In this way, the knife 323 constantly follows the awl in its movements and stays relatively close thereto notwithstanding the lateral movements of the awl. The knife also moves rapidly upwardly and downwardly many times for each single cycle of operation of the machine (that is, for each single stitch) because of the rapid oscillation of the member 309 when driven by the flexible shaft 393 which is driven by multiplying gears like the gears It! and I05 previously described.

If it is desired to increase the depth of the channel cut by the machine, the lock nut 34! on the turnbuckle 3E5 is loosened and the turnbuckle is turned so as to shorten the distance between the links 3|3 and SIT. On the other hand, if it is desired to cut a shallower channel, the turnbuckle is turned in the opposite direction to increasethe distance between the links SH and 3H, whereupon the cutting end of the knife will be at a higher elevation for any given position of the crank pin 3! I All of these forms of the invention above described have proven themselves to be great advances in the art, operating with great efhciency on even the toughest and hardest leather soles, which would be likely to cause bending or breaking ,of the needle or the awl if channel cutting .were attempted with the prior art devices. The form of construction constituting the first embodiment of the invention has proven particularly satisfactory and efficient in use, and is the preferred form.

It is seen from the foregoing disclosure that the above-mentioned objects of the invention are admirably fulfilled. It is to be understood that the foregoing disclosure is given by way of illustrative example only, rather than by way of limitation, and that without departing from the invention, the details may be varied within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l 1. Channel cutting mechanism for a shoe sole stitching machine of the type including a needle movable longitudinally in a fixedlocation and an awl movable longitudinally to pierce the shoe sole and also movable back and forth laterally from a position materially offset from the needle to a position in alinement with the needle and back to said offset position, said channel cutting mechanism including a knife member operating upon the sole to cut a channel therein in advance of but closely adjacent'to said awl, means for moving said knife member with a movementhaving a component in a direction perpendicular to the shoe sole through a multiplicity of movements during each stitch cycle of said needle and said awl, and means operatingin 'synchronism with said lateral movements of said awl for moving 7 said knife member with a movement having a component in the direction of saidlateral movement of said awl.

2. Channel cutting mechanism for a shoe sole 7 stitching machine of the type including a drive shaft making one revolution for each stitch-form- ,ing cycle, a needle movable longitudinally to pass through the shoe sole and to be retracted from the shoe sole, an awl movable longitudinally through the shoe sole to pierce it in a location offset laterally from the location of said needle and shiftable laterally to feed the sole 'to bring the hole pierced by the awl into alinement with theneedle, and a machine part movable laterally back and forth in the direction of lateral shifting of the awl, said channel cutting mechanism comprising a knife blade for cutting a channel in said .sole, said blade being mounted for movement in the direction of lateral shifting of said awl, means connecting said blade to said machine part to move said blade laterally back and forth concomitantly with the lateral shifting movements of said awl, said blade remaining at a substantially constant distance from said awl during the lateral movements thereof, and mechanism for vibrating said blade in a direction approximately perpendicular to the shoe sole a multiplicity of times during each lateral movement of the blade.

3. Channel cutting mechanism for a shoe sole stitching machine of the type including a needle movable longitudinally, an awl movable longitudinally and laterally, a machine part movable laterally with the lateral movements of the awl, and a driving shaft rotatable to move the needle and the awl longitudinally and to move "the awl and said part laterally, said channel cutting mechanism comprising a knife'blade mounted for movement in a direction parallel to the lateral movements of said awl and also mounted for movement in a direction having a component approximately perpendicular tothe surface of a shoe sole being sewn, an operative connection between said blade and said machine part for moving said blade in said direction parallel to the lateral movements of said awl, and mechanism driven by said shaft for moving said blade in said direction having a component perpendicular to the surface of the shoe sole, a plurality of times for each cycle of lateral movement of the awl.

4. Channel cutting mechanism for a shoe sole stitching machine of the type including a needle movable longitudinally, an awl movable longitudinally and laterally, a machine part movable laterally with the lateral movementsof the awl, and a driving shaft-rotatable to move the needle and the awl longitudinally and to move the awl and said part laterally, said channel cutting mechanism comprising a slide movable laterally in a direction parallel to the lateral movements of said awl, a knife member pivotally connected to said slide for bodily movement therewith and also for movement upwardly and downwardly into and out of the surface of a shoe sole being operated upon, an operative connection between said slide and said machine part for moving said slide with movements corresponding to the lateral movements of said awl, and an operative connection between said knife and said shaft for moving said knife-into and out of the surface of the shoe sole a plurality of times for each cycle of movement of said slide.

5. Channel cutting mechanism'for a shoe sole stitching machine of the type including a work support for-receiving a shoe in inverted position with the'soleapproximately horizontal and means forifeedin the sole horizontally step by step in "the direction of a line of stitches to be formed therein, said channel cutting mechanism including a knife blade mounted above the shoe sole and'projecting downwardly into cooperative 're- 'lation with the sole in ali'nement with stitching to be formed therein, means for vibrating the knife blade upwardly'and downwardly a plurality of times during each feeding movement of said feeding means, and means for moving said knife blade in the direction of feeding movement of the shoe sole concomitantly with the feeding movement thereof and for moving the knife blade in a reverse direction while the shoe sole is stationary on said work support, to cut a stitchreceiving channel therein while said sole is stationary between successive feeding movements.

6. Channel cutting mechanism for a shoe sole stitching machine of the type including a work support for receiving a shoe in inverted position with the sole approximately horizontal and means for feeding the sole horizontally step by step in the direction of a line of stitches to be formed therein, said channel cutting mechanism includin a knife blade mounted above the shoe sole and projecting downwardly into cooperative relation with the sole in alinement with stitching to be formed therein, means for moving said knife blade in the direction of feeding movement of the shoe sole concomitantly with the feeding movement thereof and for moving the knife blade in a reverse direction while the shoe sole is stationary on said work support, to cut a channel thereinwhilesaid sole is stationary betweensucbeing adapted to be fed horizontally step by step over the work support, a machine part movable laterally in one direction with each feeding step movement of the sole and movable in a return direction between successive feeding movements, and a driving shaft, said channel cutting mechanism comprising a knife blade mounted above a shoe sole on said support and having a cutting end depending into effective relation to said sole, said blade being mounted for upward and downward movement toward and away from the surface of the shoe sole and also for horizontal movement in the direction of feeding of the shoe sole, a horizontal slide associated with said knife blade and operatively connected thereto so that movements of said slide are transmitted to said knife blade, an arm connecting said slide to said machine part to move said slide and thereby move said blade substantially horizontally with said part and with the feeding movements of the shoe sole and to return said slide and said blade in the opposite direction between each two successive feeding movements, and flexible drive means connecting said knife blade to said shaft to move said knife blade upwardly and downwardly in effective cutting relation to the shoe sole a multiplicity of times during each horizontal return movement of the knife blade.

JOHN F'ERRARA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS in the 

